An exchange between 3S (pen name) from the University of Antwerp and M from the Universidad Centroamericana in Nicaragua. For security reasons, the name of the student from Nicaragua was anonymized.
Letter 1
Dear 3S,
My name is M and I am currently in my third semester of Information Systems Engineering at Universidad Centro Americana (UCA) in Managua, Nicaragua. While it is not a career related to nature, I have a deep interest in topics related to life and marine ecosystems. That is why I am writing to start a conversation about climate change and pollution and their effects on aquatic ecosystems. And, to tell you about my country.
Nicaragua is a small country located in Central America. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It also has two freshwater lakes, Lake Cocibolca, which is the largest freshwater lake in Central America, and Lake Xolotlan. Therefore, Nicaragua is a country rich in marine biodiversity. In addition, some of its beaches are visited by local and foreign tourists who practice surfing.
For most of my life, I have lived in San Juan del Sur, Rivas, located on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Its main economic activities are fishing and tourism. Sadly, both have had a negative effect on marine life. Excessive and indiscriminate fishing has caused the disappearance of some marine species that previously abounded in the area, such as red snapper, white tuna, shrimp, lobster, and many more. Also, some foreign and local tourists leave garbage on the beach that ends up in the ocean and pollutes the water. Once the trash is inside the water, some marine species confuse it with food, eat it and die intoxicated. Sometimes, when I go for a walk on the beach, I see people walking, talking, and playing among the trash. It makes me mad and I ask myself, why can’t they just pick up the trash? Does it look like it belongs to the ocean? Of course, I pick up some trash, but sadly not all of it.
La Flor Wildlife Refuge is located twenty-two kilometers south of my hometown. Paslama turtles lay their eggs there during the turtle nesting seasons between July and January. Massive turtle nesting arrivals only happen in two places in my country: La Flor and Chacocente, a beach located in Tola, Rivas. Unfortunately, paslama turtles are now endangered animals due to the illegal egg market and because they are accidentally captured in artisanal fishing nets.
On the Caribbean Nicaraguan Coast, turtles are part of the culture. This area is inhabited by native indigenous groups such as the Mayagnas, Miskitos, and Ramas amongst others. These groups use turtle meat and their eggs as ingredients for the preparation of traditional dishes. Even though turtle hunting is illegal, some indigenous groups have been allowed to do it in their territory for self-consumption only. Despite this, some foreign hunters capture turtles for commercialization without permission.
Not only has indiscriminate hunting caused the decline of the turtle population, but also climate change. Due to rising global temperatures, the female turtle population is increasing way more than the male population. This is because the sex of a turtle is determined by the temperature of the sand where they are being incubated during the nesting period. Therefore, cooler incubation temperatures produce mostly male turtles, while warmer incubation temperatures produce mostly female turtles. This can be seen as girl power! However, it is not good for the species. In addition, higher temperatures can also cause changes in ocean currents, causing turtles to change their nesting spots. Mother turtles usually make their nests on the same beach where they hatched. But what if the beach is no longer suitable for them to make their nests?
Another consequence of climate change for turtles is the increase in climatic events like hurricanes and tropical cyclones. These events endanger their habitats, causing flooding and eroding the beaches where the turtles nest. Imagine if you were a female turtle and after years of being far away from where you were born, you come back to have your babies, and you find the place destroyed. That must be very unsettling.
Apart from that, I mentioned the two freshwater lakes located in Nicaragua, which are a source of employment, food, and drinking water for the people in the surrounding towns. Some of the fish species that can be found on the lake are 3 species of tilapia and guapote as well as mojarra, gaspar, catfish, and guabina. However, Lake Xolotlan is polluted due to human activity. This lake was Managua’s city sewage dump for many years in the past and it was heavily contaminated. The pollution of the lake has caused people to develop gastrointestinal diseases, skin infections, and respiratory diseases, among others, by having contact with or ingesting its water. The deterioration of the lake environment also has a negative effect on people’s mental and emotional health, due to the bad smell, waste accumulation, and poor water quality.
In contrast, Lake Cocibolca, better known as Lake Nicaragua, is one of the biggest lakes in Latin America and the tenth worldwide. It is not as polluted as Lake Xolotlan, but it has faced other environmental problems that threaten its future. For example, the dry season that Nicaragua faced in 2015 caused the lake’s water level to drop and it was thought that it was doomed to disappear. Thankfully, it did not and is still home to a wide variety of marine life. The most famous inhabitant of the lake is the so-called “freshwater shark”, best known as the Caribbean bull Shark. The population of specimens of this shark used to be abundant in the lake and many sightings of it were reported. However, nowadays there are no sighting reports, and it is believed to have disappeared. A cause of the reduction of the shark population is the indiscriminate fishing that took place in the past by a Japanese shark fin processing plant that used to operate near the lake.
On the other hand, Nicaragua’s coral reefs can be found on the Caribbean coast in an area spanning approximately 454 km. I have never seen it in my life, but I bet it is a wonderful marine life ecosystem. There are over 58 coral reef species that are home to animals like red and yellowtail snapper, horse mackerel, sharks, turtles, lobsters, fish of coral reefs, and many more. I mention this because I read that your suggested topic was “The bleaching and extinction of corals as an effect of climate change”. Can you explain to me how climate change affects coral reefs and therefore marine life? And can something be done to prevent further damage?
Finally, I hope you found my letter interesting and pleasing to read because I had a good time writing it. And I would like you to tell me what you think about my country based on what I wrote. I will be waiting for your response.
Best regards,
M
Managua, 28 February 2022
Letter 2
Dear M,
First of all, I want to thank you for your impeccable writing! I loved reading your letter. It’s interesting to me how your studies don’t relate to our topic of choice. For me that used to be the case. I am currently in my second semester of Biology at the University of Antwerp, but last year I studied History and Film-Theatre Sciences also at the University of Antwerp. This just shows how broad one’s interests can be. The conversation about climate change, pollution, and their effects on marine ecosystems is one that lies close to my heart, hence why I chose this as a topic.
From what you have written to me, I can say I now know a little bit more about Nicaragua than I did before. I didn’t know it actually has a relatively big marine biodiversity as well as the conflicts that entail, like over- and illegal fishing. And, also the effects of climate change on the diversity of male and female Paslama turtles and that female turtles sometimes can’t make it back to their place of birth because it has been destroyed, either because of climate change or humans, makes me sad. In spite of that, it seems like a really beautiful country and I would love to visit someday!
I’ll tell you a few fun facts about myself. I recently turned 20 years old and I adore running. I’m also a scouts leader to little girls ages 8 to 10, they’re amazing but make me want to rip my hair out at times. In my free time, I love to read and learn about anything history and biology-related. I work at an aquarium in the Antwerp ZOO and am currently applying to work at the aquarium store Aquaria Antwerp.
Now a little bit about Belgium; it’s a small country in the west of Europe with a population of about 11 million people. In the west, we have the North Sea and in the south, there are the mountains called the Ardennes. Although there aren’t many lakes in Belgium there are a lot of rivers and canals like the Ourthe, the Meuse, and the Scheldt. I practically live next to the Scheldt, that’s pretty north of Belgium. Sadly, it’s far away from the ocean, therefore it’s been years since I saw the beach. But that might not be a bad thing considering how, like you, it infuriates me to see people throw trash on the beach instead of in the trash bins.
Since I don’t have a clear view of the biodiversity of the Belgian aquatic wildlife and ecosystems, I’ll talk about the ones I know a little more about, which is marine life in Australia. Australia’s only borders are marine. It is completely surrounded by water. So it makes sense that there is gigantic biodiversity in species and species that do not live anywhere else in the world, like the Australian fur seal and the Australian sea lion, as well as the platypus.
Even though aquatic ecosystems don’t only include animals, they also cover plants. However, I don’t know if you know this but a lot of people mistake coral reefs for plants when they actually are animals! They are very, very small polyps. Thousands of them make up 1 coral and they all work together to hunt plankton and small fish to eat, survive and thrive in their system. And although they cover less than 0.1% of the earth’s surface, coral reefs are the most biodiverse marine ecosystem in the world. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest living thing on earth which extends for over 2,300 kilometers and is home to over 9 000 known species, like reef sharks, whales, small fish, and big fish up to 9 different species of sea turtles! It is so big that it’s visible from outer space. It’s pretty cool if you ask me.
The not-so-cool thing about them is, is that a lot of them are endangered or on the brink of extinction. Because of climate change. The warming of the earth makes it so our oceans are slowly warming up as well. One of the effects of that, that we can actually see, is the bleaching of the coral reefs. Some corals are pretty tolerant to water temperature changes, other types of coral need a very specific water temperature in order to live. It depends on the species. The ones that can’t handle the warmer temperatures, first turn white and then a black/dark red, which means they’re dead. Now sometimes when they bleach they can survive so when a coral bleaches, it isn’t dead yet. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality, which leaves the corals vulnerable to starvation, infection, and tissue loss. With the proper care, we can reverse the impact of bleaching if we could just remove the underlying issue (which is the temperature of the water rising) and then nurse the colony back to health.
Corals support 25% of ocean life and also make up a big percentage in the reduction of carbon dioxide into oxygen. So if bigger parts of coral reefs keep dying and we cannot stop the bleaching, that would also be incredibly detrimental to all aquatic life.
Some of the ways we can help are to recycle our plastic to ensure that the warming of the earth does not reach the +2,0°C. I think that that may possibly lead to the beginning of the end. But to finish my letter positively, there are a lot of people that are working to nurse the different coral reefs in Australia, Hawaii, etc. to guarantee the survival of our reefs and therefore keep an established aquatic ecosystem.
You are now at the end of my letter. I hope you enjoyed reading this and that you learned a little bit about me and coral bleaching as an effect of climate change and how that affects ocean wildlife. I was wondering if there are any initiatives or organizations that keep busy trying to save the turtles or are vocally against overfishing? I’m very interested in how the people in Nicaragua view these issues or if they don’t really care about them. I can’t wait to hear from you and read your reaction!
Kind regards
3S
Antwerp, 23 March 2023.
Letter 3
Dear 3S,
First and foremost, I hope things are going well in your studies at the University of Antwerp. Thank you so much for answering my questions about coral bleaching. I wasn’t aware that corals were animals. It is fascinating how everything in nature is related! For example, corals, as you mention, contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because it is converted into oxygen. Since we breathe oxygen, corals help us live — how amazing! I hope that more people get involved in projects to protect coral reefs so that in the future they are no longer an endangered species and we can preserve aquatic ecosystems.
I was a little curious about what Belgium looks like, so I found some images on Google of the places you mentioned in your letter. Belgium looks like a country out of a storybook! It is so different from Nicaragua and so pretty. I would love to visit someday, just enjoy the view and take as many pictures as I can. You are very lucky to be able to go to the University of Antwerp. The buildings are very different from what I am used to — it looks like a fairytale. The mountains and the rivers are fascinating and remind me of Frozen, the Disney movie.
Additionally, you discussed Australia and its biodiversity, which is different from Nicaragua. The fur seals, sea lions, and platypuses are cute and unique animals. Therefore, I want to share with you two brief stories about these animals. One time, my cousin brought home a stuffed animal of a platypus just because he thought it was ugly! But I did not agree with him and I kept it, and named it Cordelia. According to his sister, it was my best friend. Another time, when I was a kid, a seal appeared in the waters of my hometown! There are no seals in Nicaragua so for one to have swam all the way here was something out of the ordinary. I didn’t see it in person, because I wasn’t at the beach that day, but later I saw the story in the local newspaper.
I am going to answer your questions about marine wildlife in my country. In Nicaragua, there is a government organization called the “Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources” (MARENA). It oversees coordinating and directing the state’s environmental policy and promoting the sustainable use of the nation’s natural resources. This year they are promoting the National Campaign “Together we preserve our Sea Turtles”. On April 4, they released 150 baby turtles in a wildlife refuge with the purpose of collaborating in the preservation of the species. I’ve never had the opportunity to see an arrival or hatching of sea turtles in person. It is funny because once I went to the beach for a walk every day for a whole week, and saw nothing out of the usual. The day I didn’t go, some baby turtles hatched and returned to the ocean. But what can I say, it is what it is!
MARENA is not the only organization in charge of the preservation of Nicaragua’s natural resources, there is also INPESCA which is the “Nicaraguan Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture”. Their mission is to inform fishermen that turtle trapping is prohibited. Additionally, they must supervise and regulate fishing activities in the country. My mother works for this organization, and I once had the fortunate opportunity to accompany her to “El Ostional,” a beach located 45 minutes from my hometown to visit the fish markets. It was a tiring day, but I had a great time. I saw monkeys, and since it was my first time there, I took many pictures. I also found out that the fishermen use a ruler called a “langostometro” which can be translated as “lobster meter” (And, no, I am not making this up, in case you were wondering). They used them to measure the size of the lobsters to check that they are not too small to sell. If they are, then the store owner will be fined.
Here are some pictures of “El Ostional”:
In addition to government organizations, there is also a non-profit environmental organization called Association ELI-S, whose collaborators consist of Belgians, as well as some local Nicaraguans. Their mission is to protect whale and dolphin habitats through science and education. They also hold beach clean-ups with the phrase “Leave your footprint – Not your trash”.
I want to share with you some pictures I took of my hometown. I hope you like them!
Finally, I am glad that you found my first letter interesting to read. I enjoyed writing it. I hope you find this letter interesting too! I enjoyed reading your letter and if you ever come to Nicaragua, please let me know so you can visit San Juan del Sur, my hometown. You mentioned that you work at the aquarium at the Antwerp Zoo. That must be a fun and exciting job. Sadly, in Nicaragua, there are no aquariums, so I have never been to one. Could you tell me what it’s like to work there? What kinds of activities do you do? What animals can you find there? And have you ever seen the movie Finding Dory? I would also like to know what could happen if the warming of the Earth reached +2,0°C. Thanks for your letter! Now I know more about corals, coral bleaching, Australia, and Belgium. Thanks so much for being my Pen-Friend! Take care!
M
Managua, 14 April 2023
P.S. Be patient with the girl scouts and do not rip all your hair out or you will be a bald man.
Letter 4
Dear M,
Thank you for your letter! My studies are not going as well as I would like them to. You know it is not always smooth sailing, and it is very busy with finals lurking around the corner. I hope things are going good for you at University as well! I had a blast answering your questions about coral reefs as well as reading your letter. It’s like you said; it is beautiful how everything in nature is connected, but is yet so diverse. That’s the thing I love about it. The cohesion of all different and unique lives.
When I received your letter I spent a lot of time looking at the photos. I love that you included pictures of your hometown! While looking at them I realised how different our environments are. Now I’m curious what it is like to live in Nicaragua. You mentioned that Belgium looks like a place out of a story book. And I have to admit that I never saw Belgium as pretty, probably because I’m used to seeing these kinds of buildings. While it’s true that the buildings are fascinating, I find it kind of sad that there isn’t a lot of native nature. One of my professors recently taught me that every forest in Belgium at one point in history has been completely cut down! They used the wood for building houses and as firewood. However, what we lack in nature, we make up for in social diversity!
Platypuses are indeed very cute animals, and Cordelia is the perfect name for one! Did you know that platypuses are venomous? They’re also the only mammals to lay eggs! I don’t know if you still have Cordelia, but I too have a best friend stuffed animal. It’s a polar bear and his name is Kapitein (Kapitein translates to “Captain”). I don’t know what it is about seeing animals out in the wild that makes it so exciting. When we were out on an excursion in December in Zeeland, The Netherlands, we also saw seals in the bay! I remember my friends and I being so happy because it had been raining all day and that was the best thing that happened that day.
Thank you for telling me a little bit more about MARENA and Association ELI-S! I hadn’t heard about them yet. I always love hearing about organisations that help improve oceanic wildlife as most people tend to overlook sea animals in the fight for wildlife conservation.
Now onto answering your questions; I do work at the aquarium. My job mostly consists of me cleaning the windows of the aquarium and the floor (if it’s dirty, because you know sometimes people can also be animals :)). When you walk in, it’s like a big hallway with aquaria left and right with benches in the middle (photo 1). First, I start by checking if there are any dead fishes or other abnormalities. Secondly, I’ll do my cleaning round. Everyday at 10:00 there is an artificial sunrise at the coral reef aquarium (photo 2). It mimics a real sunrise for the fishes and corals to wake up.
I really like working here because I keep learning new, interesting things. Like, the way fish sleep is the same way horses sleep. They shut down one side of their brain, while the other side stays active. That way they can still function even when they’re sleeping!
You can find all types of ocean wildlife at the aquarium. There is one big aquarium home to three blacktip reef sharks. There are crabs, corals, seahorses, rays, and yes there are clownfish as well (A.K.A. the Nemo fish). There even is a sea turtle! But she only comes out when there aren’t a lot of people, because the loud noises are uncomfortable for her. My favourite one though is the bluespotted ribbontail ray (photo 3). The way they glide through the water is majestic, I think.
I did see Finding Dory, and while I don’t think it’s as good as Finding Nemo, I do think it’s a charming movie and I might have shed a little tear or two.
One of the biggest consequences of global warming which scares me, personally, the most is if the warming of the earth reached +2,0°C, it would cause the big glaciers to melt. When the aggregate state of the ice turns fluid, it just becomes more water in the ocean. More water in the ocean means that the sea levels will start to rise. This has already been happening for almost a century. In Belgium the sea level has already gone up 20 cm since 1925.
Sea level rise is a relatively slow process because it responds to, among other things, the melting of ice caps and glaciers and the warming of the seas. As a result, this increase will continue even long after the stabilization of the temperature on earth. Due to the rise in sea level, the highest water levels that occur during storm surges will also increase. This can lead to more coastal erosion and even flooding of low-lying areas by the sea if the seawall is insufficiently resistant. If we can’t keep the warming of the earth’s atmosphere below +2,0°C, it would be detrimental to our coastal cities.
The melting of glaciers also caused viruses and bacteria of a couple billion years ago to defrost. I have no idea what would happen if they were to end up in today’s water environment, but it can’t be any good.
Last but not least, I would like to thank you for your letters. I couldn’t have asked for a better pen friend and teacher about Nicaragua, Paslama turtles, the freshwater lakes and their biodiversity in marine life! If you ever visit Belgium, let me know because I would love to show you around Antwerp!
Sincerely yours
3S
Antwerp, 14 May 2023.
PS: I’ll try to remain patient, I don’t want to be bald.